Malloy And Democrats' Problem

I don't think Gov. Dannel P. Malloy can attribute his low approval ratings to his having made tough decisions -- I have no idea what those might be. And now he's throwing the state's budget problems in the legislature's lap to come up with fiscal solutions.

But what has he done? His initial $103 million in cuts ordered in September are a pimple on an elephant. He says our problems have been made over the last 40 years. I say 24 years ago, the year the state income tax started. Here is the stark reality in numbers. In 1991, the annual budget was $7.9 billion and bonded debt was $9 billion. In 2015, the annual budget is $20 billion and bonded debt is $21 billion. And we haven't even paid a staggering $65 billion of our bills along the way.

Where has all the money gone? The state is simply too top-heavy with personnel. I am apolitical, but the Democratic supermajority in the legislature has betrayed us. It sure isn't the taxpayers' fault; we've coughed up plenty of dough. Malloy, the Democratic supermajority and the state employees unions have to lock themselves in a room and figure it out.